Not content with the rapid and significant price increases for consoles and Game Pass, Microsoft The company is now reportedly raising prices on Xbox and for developers. Xbox dev kits, special hardware provided to developers who want to create games for the platform, have reportedly jumped from $1,500 to $2,000.
This is stated in a new report Edgewith a link to an internal announcement sent to Xbox developers. This price increase will apparently take effect immediately in the US, EU and beyond. I reached out to Microsoft to confirm the price increase but have not received a response at the time of writing.
“This adjustment reflects macroeconomic changes,” Microsoft reportedly said in a statement. “We remain committed to providing high-quality tools and support for your development efforts.”
The reported $500 (33%) increase in dev kit prices follows a wave of consumer price increases across the Xbox ecosystem. The 2TB Xbox Series X is now the most expensive console on the market. after two price hikes that took the price to a whopping $800.. Meanwhile, the standard Xbox Series X console now costs $650, up from $600 after the previous jump from a $500 starting price.
Price hikes have also come to Xbox's darling baby, Game Pass. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will increase in price by 50% to $30 per month just a few weeks ago. Ultimate is a subscription tier with access to major Xbox releases coming in the near future. The Outer Worlds 2 And Call of Duty: Black Ops 7therefore, this price increase represents a significant premium for the core function of the service.
For several months now, Microsoft has been actively making Xbox less accessible amid a severe crisis. layoffs and studio closures after and during the Activision acquisitionand also offers more and more alternatives to playing games on Xbox. The background, of course, tens of billions of profits for the entire company. The number of creatives willing to work on the platform is shrinking – numbers are dwindling, as even the head of Moon Studios, creator of longtime indie Xbox mascot Ori, suggests the Xbox isn't worth the effort – at the moment it would be in the order of things.
Former PlayStation executive praises Microsoft's publishing strategy, but can't wrap his head around Xbox Game Pass price increases: “I don't understand.”
